“Shh,” Jesse soothed.
The hand that had held her so firmly in place started to move and rub circles on her back. It reached just above the crack of her bottom, but not over the area that really needed to be soothed. Finally he pulled her up and into a chaste hug, kissing the top of her head.
“No more?” she asked in a ragged whisper.
“No more spanking. I do want you to stand in the corner for a while though and think about why you were just spanked.”
“I know why,” she protested into his shoulder with a fresh bout of tears.
Jesse moved her to the corner. “Five minutes, and then we’ll talk about the last part of your punishment.”
“There’s more?” She was horrified. She’d just endured the worst spanking she had ever had, and now he was telling her it wasn’t enough? She turned to say something but thought better of it when she saw his look of determination.
“Face the wall. You don’t get to talk yet,” he said not unkindly.
Alyssa turned with frustration, leaning her head against the wall. All she wanted was for everything to be the same as it was. Before she got kicked out of school, before she went away to school, before her house was taken over by this hot stranger who brought out a side of her that was so foreign. Well, not all of that was true. He was growing on her. Her eyes drifted to the door jamb. There against the otherwise perfect paint job was the markings of her childhood: multi-colored lines that her daddy had drawn to mark her growth every year on her birthday. It was all too much. Her shoulders started to shake first, then she sagged as deep heart-wrenching sobs took over her.
Jesse jumped up from the bed at once and scooped her up into his arms. “What’s wrong?” he asked frantically. “Alyssa?”
“I wanna go back!” she sobbed. “It’s all too much.”
“What’s too much?”
“Everything!” she blurted out loudly between sobs.
He sat on the bed and held her to him, wrapping his arms around her and rocking her for a long time. “Everything?”
“My mom finding someone new. School; I came here partly because I wanted to spend time here but mostly because I got kicked out.”
“Because?”
“Bad grades. I know, stupid, huh? You don’t have to tell me. Too much partying and not enough actual school. Knowing that doesn’t help me now. I can’t go back until next year.”
“That’s big.”
“I know.”
They sat in silence for a minute, and then Alyssa glanced over at the door jamb. “I miss my dad,” she said at last. “I can’t believe that my mom just moved on. She just cleaned up his stuff and then found someone new.” Her sobs had started to subside, and she was able to talk through her tears.
“Your mom sitting here in this house by herself for the rest of her life alone is not going to bring your dad back. My uncle is a good guy.”
“Maybe. I guess I might seem selfish to you, but I’m not ready to let go. When my mom sells this house, I feel like all my memories of Dad will go with it.”
“Oh, Alyssa, your memories aren’t in a house. They’re in here.” He rested his palm on her heart. “And in here.” He tapped her head gently.
“I can already feel it. I felt it right away when I came home. My dad’s gone from this room. His stuff is gone, and I can’t feel him here. Now with all the changes you’re making… bit-by-bit he’s slipping away. That’s what she’s doing. She’s just getting rid of anything that reminds her of him so she can move on and have fun.”
“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way.”
Gradually her crying petered, and she began enjoying the feel of his warm embrace. Not even the fact she was still naked made her want to move out of his arms.
“Your mom was probably lonely. She needed to move on. Maybe she couldn’t do that while things were exactly the same as they’d always been.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe things in the house just needed to be changed and repaired. Things get older and worn, and they have to be replaced. Can you honestly say if your dad were still here that he wouldn’t have wanted to remodel a bit or change things?”
“Well, no,” she had to admit. She could see her dad painting, but she couldn’t see her dad liking another man in his house.
“Can you say with a hundred percent accuracy that if your dad were still here that they wouldn’t have moved at some point?”
“They had no plans to move.”
“Not then. Things change. Life changes all of us. Unfortunately, so does death.”
Tears filled her eyes again, but she nodded. Maybe things wouldn’t have stayed the same if her dad had lived. “Thanks. I feel a bit better.”
“Good.”
“Most of me. I think you’ve like… broken my butt.” Now that she was feeling under control, she realized she was still sore even though the pain had been overshadowed for a time.
“You deserved everything you got.” He smiled. “If you’d talked to me a lot earlier rather than wreaking havoc, then you probably could have avoided this altogether.”
“I am sorry about your tools. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way to pay for them.”
“I was thinking about that. I need to start organizing my next jobs. You can work the paperwork side of things for me. Make phone calls, that type of thing.”
“Want to keep an eye on me, huh?” It was an excellent idea. It would give her a chance to pay back the money for the tools. She really did feel bad about that.
“Oh, I would be.”
“Wouldn’t it be a chore to have to spend every day with me?” She didn’t know why, but it would have hurt her feelings if he thought she was a chore.
“No. You’re growing on me.”
She giggled. “You’re growing on me too.” Alyssa was suddenly aware of her erect nipples and her general nakedness. “I need to get dressed.”
“Yes, you do. I’ll get us something to eat while you take care of that.”
“Okay.”
By the time Alyssa got downstairs, Jesse was putting some food on the table.
“It’s nothing fancy, just toasted cheese and tomato soup.” He chuckled. “You look like Wee Willie Winkie in that nightdress.”
“It’s my mom’s. It’s big, and it doesn’t touch anything,” she said sheepishly. She went to pick up her food and move it to the counter, but Jesse stopped her by putting a hand on her arm.
“Sit. It’s all part of the punishment.”
“The gift that keeps on giving.” Alyssa sat carefully, trying not to give him the satisfaction of her wincing.
Chapter Four
“Do you think you can remember all that?” Jesse asked, holding a colorful pad.
“Phones, message pads, very important. Coffee and invoices. I think I can remember that.”
“Please don’t forget to take down messages.”
“I won’t.” Jesse had shown her the computer program that he used to do his books. He had explained that business books hadn’t always been done on the computer. When he first started out in what was then his grandfather’s business, they’d done the books by hand. Jesse had actually made her feel like she was helping him by doing the data entry for him.
“Good. I have to go and see about my tools and do a couple of estimates. You going to be okay?”
“Sure. I’ll be fine.”
There really wasn’t a lot for Alyssa to do. She entered some stuff into the computer and waited, but there were no calls. She put on some fresh coffee for Jesse’s boys—Chase, Matty, and of course one for Uncle Pete.
“There you go. Cream, no sugar.” She handed one of the cups to Matty. “And yours, black, two sugars.”
“Thanks, Alyssa.” Matty took a sip of the scalding liquid.
“It’s good. Thank you,” Chase added, taking another sip of his. “You and Jesse getting along now?”
“I guess.” Alyssa took a sip of her own coffee. “He’s not quite as
bossy as he was.”
“You know, he’s a good guy. If he was being bossy, he would have had to have a reason.”
“What kind of reason?”
“Oh, I don’t know, like he cared about you or something.” Chase grinned. “Really, you could do worse than a guy like Jesse.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Alyssa looked up to find Uncle Pete was back. “Hi, I didn’t know you were here. Would you like some coffee?”
“I would, thanks. Why don’t we have ours in the kitchen? You’re still not wearing that hat.”
“Um yeah, I forgot.”
“Don’t forget. Come on. We can have a talk while we drink our coffee.”
“Okay,” Alyssa said warily. Uncle Pete was lovely, but there was something in his tone that lead her to think their talk was going to be a bit one-sided and more of a lecture than a talk.
“I guess you heard what happened,” she asked him.
“Hmm.”
“Hmm?”
“I wouldn’t say it just happened. I’d say someone decided it was going to happen.”
“Yeah. I’m really sorry that I did it, and if I could, I would take it back.”
“That’s between you and Jesse. That’s not really what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh? What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Jesse. You know, I’ve known that boy since he was very small. I’ve never known him to be so taken with a girl before.”
“Really?”
“Really. You would be safe with him, honey. He’d look after you always.”
“Thanks, Uncle Pete.”
* * *
That night when Jesse got home, he was pleasantly surprised. The kitchen was not only tidy, but the table was set for two and there was the makings of dinner on the stove.
“Hi,” Alyssa smiled. “I made dinner. I don’t know how good it’ll be, but it’s hot.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.” Jesse couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he sat down at the table. He would have settled for a clean kitchen and a smile, but she’d actually prepared something with him in mind.
“This is delicious,” he praised as he forked another couple of pieces of pasta and dropped them into his mouth.
“Thanks.”
“What brought this on?” He couldn’t help but wonder if she had an ulterior motive, although he hoped not.
“Nothing. I just got to thinking that it might be nice to sit and have a meal together and talk.”
“Okay. You’re right. It would, and it’s nice—civilized even.”
“I can be a grown up, see?”
“I do see. Now, is there something in particular you want to talk about?” There, he’d done it, laid his cards on the table.
“Not exactly. I would like to get to know you better.”
“That I can do, and I’d like to get to know you too.” He knew more about her than she knew about him, but he would love to delve a bit further. He didn’t really know much about what she liked or didn’t like.
Jesse was amazed how at ease they were with each other. It was such a relief from the constant arguments. It was nice to have the chance to see Alyssa in a more friendly light. They finished up the night laughing over Alyssa’s favorite television show.
* * *
The next morning Alyssa practically bounced to her makeshift desk. She brought Jesse, Matty, and Chase coffee and muffins fresh from the oven. It may have been a mix before it ended up in the oven, but she was trying and was happy to have a purpose at last. Jesse had explained that he only expected her to work for him until she’d paid for his tools, but honestly, she’d be happy to do this for as long as he needed her. It was fun and he was feeding her at the moment, due to her lack of funds.
Jesse popped in to tell her he was off again on another round of estimates. She waved him off happily and tended to her computer work while waiting for calls. She enjoyed her time with the boys too. They apparently went to school with Jesse and had been working alongside of him since his grandfather died. They were full of little tidbits of information.
“So his grandfather is a builder too?”
“He was one of the best. Self-taught mostly, and he taught Jesse everything he knew—although he insisted he keep going to school while he worked for him. He passed the business on to Jesse when he died. They raised Jesse after his parents were killed in a car wreck.” Chase chuckled as he told stories about a young Jesse at school.
“I don’t think I even know how old you all are. I’m guessing you’re around the same age if you went to school together.”
“Jesse is twenty-eight,” Matty said with a grin. “I’m guessing that’s what you really wanted to know.”
“Maybe,” Alyssa giggled but her mind was way ahead of her, doing the sums on their age difference. Was it too much? It was like Chase was reading her mind.
“There’s a twelve year gap between my grandparents, and they’ve been married for fifty five years.”
“Really? That’s so romantic.” She’d always dreamed about having that kind of marriage.
“It is if you’re lucky enough to find it.”
“Where’s Jesse’s grandmother?”
“She died six months before her husband.”
“So Jesse’s all alone?”
“He has his uncle. We better get some work done.” Matty gave Chase a nudge, and the two went back to their work, leaving Alyssa to her thoughts.
Jesse rang and told Alyssa that he would be in a little later that night because he had a job. She found she was actually disappointed. She heated up some leftovers for herself for dinner and then settled in front of the TV. She must have dosed off because the next thing she knew, Jess was sitting beside her.
“I brought you some ice cream.”
“Huh?” She blinked her eyes open and took the small tub he was offering. “What made you think of that?”
“You’ve been so good lately, I thought you deserved a treat.”
“Well, thanks. Did you eat dinner?” It was only ice cream, but the fact that he’d thought of her tickled her.
“You’re welcome, and yeah, I grabbed a burger.”
“Wanna share?”
“Sure.” He took a mouthful off the spoon she held out for him. “What are you watching?”
“I was watching a reality show, but I fell asleep.”
“What is it you like about those shows?”
“I don’t know. I guess I like to see that other people’s lives get messed up too.” Sometimes it felt like she was the only person in the world that couldn’t get things right.
“Hmm. That’s probably why a lot of people like them.”
“That, and I guess it’s nice to see that messed up people eventually end up happy.”
He chuckled. “Deep.”
She giggled and offered him the spoon again.
“So, tell me about your life in this house.”
“Not a lot to tell really. I was an only child of parents that were only children. “
“Was your childhood happy?”
“Mostly,” she added honestly. Was anyone happy all of the time, really?
“I thought the way you hung onto this house and resisted change, that things must have been perfect.”
“No, not perfect. If it would have been perfect, I would have had a brother and a sister. Someone to fight with. I was always envious of my friends from big families. There was shouting, arguing, teasing… fun.”
“You didn’t have fun?”
“I did. Quiet fun. It was just the three of us, and life was kind of sedate.”
“Ah, yes, I get the sedate thing. My parents died when I was young. I lived with my grandfather and my uncle until he moved, but even then he only lived around the corner.”
“The uncle?”
“The very same. He was fun. Took me fishing, taught me how to ride a bike, that sort of thing.”
“So, we’re more the same than we realized.” Alyss
a offered him the ice cream, but he shook his head so she popped the cap on and went to put it in the freezer. “You want to watch something?”
“I would love to, but I have to get up early.”
“Me too.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “I have a job, and rumor has it my boss is a bit of a tyrant.”
“Is that so? Better get yourself to bed then. Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”
* * *
As the next couple of weeks went on, Alyssa found that she was happier in a home that had been all messed up with Jesse and his crew than she ever could have imagined. Meeting up again with Krystal had helped some too. It was nice to have a friend to spend time with.
“Would you mind if I took a couple of hours off later today?” she asked Jesse over breakfast.
“Of course not. Got something planned?”
“Just coffee with a girl I used to go to school with.” She knew Jesse wouldn’t mind, but it only seemed the right thing to do, besides she had no money other than what was in the cookie jar, and that was for food. It didn’t seem right to spend it without asking.
Jesse smiled. “That’s great. It’ll be fun for you to catch up. Do you need some money?” He already had his wallet out, and he passed her a few bills.
The Man of Her House Page 6